[Sidenote: Volusenus returneth.]
CAIUS VOLUSENUS within fiue daies after his departure from Cesar,
returned vnto him with his gallie, and declared what he had séene
touching the view which he had taken of the coasts of Britan. Cesar
hauing got togither so manie saile as he thought sufficient for the
[Sidenote: Cesar with two legions of souldiers passeth ouer into
Britain.]
transporting of two legions of souldiers, after he had ordered his
businesse as he thought expedient, and gotten a conuenient wind for
his purpose, did embarke himselfe and his people, and departed from
Calice in the night about the third watch (which is about three or
foure of the clocke after midnight) giuing order that the horssemen
should take ship at an other place 8 miles aboue Calice, and follow
him. Howbeit when they somewhat slacked the time, about ten of the
clocke in the next day, hauing the wind at will, he touched on the
coast of Britaine, where he might behold all the shore set and couered
[Sidenote: The Britans readie to defend their countrie.]
with men of warre. For the Britains hearing that Cesar ment verie
shortlie to come against them, were assembled in armour to resist him:
and now being aduertised of his approch to the land, they prepared
themselues to withstand him.
[Sidenote: Cesar calleth a councell.]
Cesar perceiuing this, determined to staie till the other ships were
come, and so he lay at anchor till about 11 of the clocke, and then
called a councell of the marshals and chiefe capteines, vnto whome he
declared both what he had learned of Volusenus, and also further what
he would haue doone, willing them that all things might be ordered as
the reason of warre required. And because he perceiued that this place
where he first cast anchor was not méete for the landing of his
people, sith (from the heigth of the cliffes that closed on ech side
the narrow créeke into the which he had thrust) the Britains might
annoy his people with their bowes and dartes, before they could set
foote on land, hauing now the wind and tide with him, he disanchored
[Sidenote: This was about day.]
from thence, and drew alongst the coast vnder the downes, the space of
7 or 8 miles, and there finding the shore more flat and plaine, he
approched néere to the land, determining to come to the shore.
The Britains perceiuing Cesars intent, with all spéed caused their
horssemen and charets or wagons, which Cesar calleth _Esseda_, out of
the which in those daies they vsed to fight, to march forth toward the
place whither they saw Cesar drew, and after followed with their maine
armie. Wherefore Cesar being thus preuented, inforced yet to land with
his people, though he saw that he should haue much a doo. For as the
Britains were in redinesse to resist him, so his great and huge ships
could not come néere the shore, but were forced to kéepe the déepe, so
[Sidenote: The Romans put to their shifts.]
that the Romane soldiers were put to verie hard shift; to wit, both to
leape forth of their ships, and being pestered with their heauie
armour and weapons, to fight in the water with their enimies, who
knowing the flats and shelues, stood either vpon the drie ground, or
else but a little waie in the shallow places of the water; and being
not otherwise encumbred either with armour or weapon, but so as they
might bestir themselues at will, they laid load vpon the Romans with
their arrowes and darts, and forced their horsses (being thereto
inured) to enter the water the more easilie, so to annoy and distresse
the Romans, who wanting experience in such kind of fight, were not
well able to helpe themselues, nor to keepe order as they vsed to doo
on land: wherfore they fought nothing so lustilie as they were woont
to doo. Cesar perceiuing this, commanded the gallies to depart from
the great ships, and to row hard to the shore, that being placed ouer
against the open sides of the Britains, they might with their shot of
arrows, darts, and slings, remoue the Britains, and cause them to
withdraw further off from the water side.
[Sidenote: The Britans astonied.]
This thing being put in execution (according to his commandement) the
Britains were not a little astonied at the strange sight of those
gallies, for that they were driuen with ores, which earst they had not
séene, and shrewdlie were they galled also with the artillerie which
the Romans discharged vpon them, so that they began to shrinke and
retire somewhat backe. Herewith one that bare the ensigne of the
[Sidenote: The valiant courage of an ensigne bearer.]
legion surnamed Decima, wherein the eagle was figured, as in that
which was the chiefe ensigne of the legion, when he saw his fellowes
nothing eager to make forward, first beséeching the gods that his
enterprise might turne to the weale, profit, and honor of the legion,
he spake with a lowd voice these words to his fellowes that were about
him; "Leape forth now euen you woorthie souldiers (saith he) if you
will not betraie your ensigne to the enimies: for surelie I will
acquit my selfe according to my duetie both towards the common wealth,
and my generall:" and therewith leaping forth into the water, he
marched with his ensigne streight vpon the enimies. The Romans douting
to lose their ensigne, which should haue turned them to great reproch,
leapt out of their ships so fast as they might, and followed their
standard, so that there ensued a sore re-encounter: and that which
troubled the Romans most, was because they could not keepe their
order, neither find anie sure footing, nor yet follow euerie man his
owne ensigne, but to put themselues vnder that ensigne which he first
met withall after their first comming forth of the ship.
The Britains that were inured with the shelues and shallow places of
the water, when they saw the Romans thus disorderlie come out of their
[Sidenote: The fiercenesse of the Britains.]
ships, ran vpon them with their horsses, and fiercelie assailed them,
and now and then a great multitude of the Britains would compasse in
and inclose some one companie of them: and other also from the most
open places of the shore bestowed great plentie of darts vpon the
whole number of the Romans, and so troubled them verie sore.
* * * * *
_The Romans get to land on the English coast, the Britains send to
Cæsar for a treatie of peace, they staie the Romane ambassadour as
prisoner, Cæsar demandeth hostages of the Britains, the Romane nauie
is driuen diuers waies in a great tempest, the British princes steale
out of Cæsars campe and gather a fresh power against the Romans, their
two armies haue a sharpe encounter._